


The Hammer Job

by enigmaticblue



Series: Avengers Avenging [1]
Category: Leverage, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fusion, Bruce Banner Needs a Hug, F/M, M/M, Team as Family, Trope Bingo Round 3
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-25
Updated: 2014-10-25
Packaged: 2018-02-22 13:47:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,350
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2509964
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/enigmaticblue/pseuds/enigmaticblue
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Everybody on the team has baggage. (A Leverage fusion)</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Hammer Job

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the trope_bingo prompt “au: fusion”. For the record, I have backstories worked out for all of them, so this might become a series.

Phil clears his throat. “Okay, run it.”

 

Tony pops up. “Okay, I got this.”

 

“I thought Banner was going to run this one,” Clint objects.

 

Phil pinches the bridge of his nose. “Barton—”

 

“We did agree to that,” Natasha inserts.

 

Tony pouts. “But I know this case better than anybody else.”

 

“And you’re too personally invested,” Steve says, usually the voice of reason. “Let Bruce run this one.”

 

Tony sits back with poor grace. “Fine.”

 

Bruce stands, clicker in his hand, and starts the presentation, flushing just a bit with embarrassment. Coulson knows that he’s uncomfortable in front of groups, even when it’s just the team. “Our client is Pepper Potts, the CEO of Stark Industries.”

 

“And that would be why Bruce is running this,” Clint mutters.

 

“Enough,” Steve says before Phil can. “We all have baggage, and we all agreed that there might come a time when we had a case that was personal, and that we would back each other up. That’s the only way this team works.”

 

“We also agreed that we would all rely on the others on the team to keep us objective,” Phil adds. “Which is why Bruce is running this one.”

 

“Ms. Potts asked us to investigate a potential mole inside Stark Industries who may be selling information to Justin Hammer,” Bruce continues. “Considering that Hammer’s technology has leapt ahead about ten years in three months, it’s a good bet that someone is feeding them proprietary information and technology.”

 

“Granted,” Phil says “What else have we got?”

 

Bruce shrugs. “There’s a general who has been getting a lot of money recently, probably from Hammer, although the payments were routed through about two dozen shell corporations.”

 

“Could you trace it?” Phil demands.

 

“Think about who you’re talking to,” Tony inserts. “Of _course_ we traced it.”

 

The picture that pops up has the entire team groaning.

 

“Sorry, I did say that I didn’t want to do this,” Bruce replies.

 

Phil feels his headache building. “We all know that General Ross is an opportunist. This changes nothing.”

 

“Except that Banner shouldn’t be doing the presentation if he’s personally involved,” Barton objects. “You wouldn’t let me do the presentation when my brother was involved.”

 

“You never get to present,” Tony snarks. “That’s my job—or Bruce’s.”

 

“Enough,” Coulson snaps. “We knew from the beginning that Stark and Banner were a matched set. Bruce? You okay for this?”

 

Bruce hesitates. “I don’t love the idea of running into General Ross again, but if I have to see him, I’ll live. He’s given up on chasing me for now.”

 

“But he might change his mind if he sees you,” Natasha inserts.

 

Bruce shrugs. “Then let’s make sure he doesn’t. What else are we going to do?”

 

“Nothing, so everybody needs to settle down,” Phil says. “We’ll figure it out, just like we always do.”

 

Bruce clears his throat. “Ms. Potts said she’d give us whatever help we need to catch the mole, including bulletproof identities inside Stark Industries.”

 

“That’s a good first step,” Phil replies. “Can she keep you out of General Ross’ sight?”

 

“You’re going to send Bruce into SI?” Tony objects.

 

Phil gives him a look. “Bruce can blend in, and you’re far too recognizable there. And I need Natasha at Hammer.”

 

The thing about his team is that each of them _can_ grift, but the job (and Phil) determines whether they _should_. Natasha is the best at blending in, and with Stark and Banner’s tech, she can infiltrate even the highest levels of government or the military successfully. Clint _can_ grift, but tends to misread cues, and if his hearing aids fail, he’s definitely SOL. Stark is too flashy, even after years of mostly flying under the radar, and Bruce is really good at going unobserved, but only if he’s not triggered.

 

Which Phil learned about after the fact when they had a case at a hospital that involved an abused kid. Bruce had gone ape shit, and had beaten the offender to a pulp. Phil had to think fast to pull a win out of that one.

 

But the fact remains that if they’re going to send someone into Stark Industries to ferret out a mole, someone who has the scientific and coding know-how to get past firewalls and figure out what proprietary information is being shared, it has to be Bruce.

 

“That’s my decision,” Phil adds. “Barton and Stark, you’re with Natasha. We may need to hack in to their servers or get inside information, and you’re her way out. Steve, you cover Bruce.”

 

Coulson plans to hold back. It’s always better if there’s at least one member of the team whose face isn’t known to the mark. That way, if anything goes wrong, that person can step in without blowing the entire operation.

 

Plus, it allows him to keep an eye on things.

 

~~~~~

 

Bruce enters Stark Industries’ New York facility, adjusting his tie. He knows why Coulson had asked him to take point on this part of the operation. He hates grifting, but they need his knowledge, and he’s used to being unobtrusive, which is essential to this job.

 

“Dr. Roberts!” Ms. Potts comes to meet him personally. “Thank you so much for being willing to consult on this project.”

 

That fits the identity they’ve set up for Bruce as a consultant. Ostensibly, he’s there to audit the energy usage on the building, which makes a good cover for him digging around the security systems and tracking down anybody using back channels to deliver information.

 

“I hope you don’t mind, but I’ve assigned someone to shadow you while you’re here,” Ms. Potts says. “For your own security.”

 

Bruce is expecting that, and he says, “Of course. Thank you.”

 

She introduces Steve as one of SI’s new security specialists, Stanley Richards. “Anything you need,” Steve says as he shakes Bruce’s hand as though for the first time. “Anything at all.”

 

“Thank you,” Bruce replies politely, and sticks to the fiction that he’s just there to work. “I’d like to see where I’m working if it’s not too much trouble.”

 

“Right this way,” Ms. Potts says. “Mr. Richards will ensure you have everything you need, and will ensure your safety while you’re here.”

 

Bruce raises his eyebrows, keeping in character. “Really? Is there a danger?”

 

“Well, you know how people feel about climate change and going green,” Ms. Potts replies. “Most employees here accept the necessity, but there are a few who are concerned about the impact on their departments, and who aren’t fully on board with the idea of changing to a greener way of doing things.”

 

“I wouldn’t do this job if it were easy,” Bruce jokes.

 

Ms. Potts graces him with a brief smile. “You come highly recommended by a mutual friend. How is he?”

 

That’s skirting the edge of revealing too much, but Bruce understands. She and Tony had worked together for a few years before Tony had been forced to fake his own death.

 

“He’s good,” Bruce replies. “I’m sure he’d rather be here right now, but we thought it would be better if I took point.”

 

“Considering everything, that’s probably a good choice,” she agrees.

 

Pepper leads them to a small conference room, which is exactly where you’d put a consultant who needed to be on the premises for a few days, and says, “Margie is just outside the door if you need coffee, and of course, I’ll make sure you get lunch.”

 

That’s more than most CEOs would do, and Bruce hopes that no one notices. But then, his cover is of a highly paid, highly skilled consultant who can pick his clients. Maybe Pepper’s behavior is typical of a CEO who intends on solving a problem by throwing money at it.

 

After all, Daryl Roberts is supposedly good enough to write his own ticket.

 

Bruce starts hauling out his equipment and sets up his computer. As promised, Pepper has provided him with a cable that gets him access to most of Stark Industries’ servers. There are a few that aren’t connected to the network and are separate, but Bruce wants to rule out the obvious sources of the leak first.

 

Granted, he’s not the hacker that Tony is, but he’s picked up a few things over the years.

 

Steve sits next to him, his elbows on his knees and his shoulders hunched, clearly uncomfortable in the suit that all Stark Industries’ security officers wear.

 

“Sorry about this,” Bruce mutters under his breath as he types away. “I know this isn’t really what you want to be doing.”

 

Steve gives him a long look. “What I’d like to do is keep you safe. That’s my job.”

 

Bruce knows how seriously Steve takes his job, and he knows it has something to do with his time in the Army. Steve had been a part of the program General Ross had overseen, and had been one of the few success stories.

 

Bruce is still twisted up inside over what had happened to Steve, and their relationship is a little strained as a result—although it’s Tony who tends to deliberately antagonize Steve, just because he can.

 

“Sorry,” Bruce mutters.

 

“Don’t be sorry,” Steve says wearily. “You’re always sorry, and it’s really not necessary.”

 

Bruce ducks his head. “Right.”

 

Steve sighs. “I can stay if you want or—”

 

Bruce shakes his head. In that uniform, Steve will be able to get into areas of the building that Bruce can’t, and he has an uncanny knack for sniffing out trouble. “No, go. It’s fine. It’s early yet, and I doubt anybody will cause me trouble.”

 

Steve squeezes Bruce’s shoulder as he leaves. “Okay, you have the coms if you need me.”

 

Bruce works hard for the next few hours, sifting through reams of data, trying to ferret out anything that seems out of place, communications that carry too much information, or too little, strange attachments, or oblique references.

 

Unfortunately, he doesn’t find much, although he discovers evidence of at least two extramarital affairs, one guy who’s spending most of his work hours looking at kiddie porn (Bruce sends that information directly to Pepper), and a few other peccadillos that aren’t interesting enough to mention.

 

Bruce has learned a new definition of “interesting” over the last ten years.

 

In short, he’s no closer to catching the mole than when he started, but Stark Industries is a huge company with hundreds, if not thousands, of employees, and there’s a lot to sort through. Not even Tony’s cutting edge tech is enough to completely cut through the time that’s needed for this sort of operation.

 

Steve slips back into the conference room around lunch, carrying a couple of fancy brown boxes. “So, I think I found something.”

 

“Let’s hear it,” Bruce replies, opening the box, finding some kind of gourmet sandwich inside with a bag of chips and an apple.

 

“So, the gossip is that a Dr. Chambers has been extra shifty lately,” Steve says, taking a big bite out of his sandwich. “He’s working on one of their energy projects, and while Ms. Potts may want to use it to change the clean energy game, there are ways to use it as a weapon.”

 

Bruce turns to his computer, and starts typing. “Chambers has his own servers.”

 

“That would explain why you couldn’t find anything this morning,” Steve says, as though he thinks Bruce could do just about anything.

 

Bruce is gratified by the insinuation. “Did you find out if Chambers is around today?”

 

“He’s always around,” Steve replies. “At least that’s what I heard. He doesn’t sleep, he doesn’t eat, the usual.”

 

Bruce sighs, mostly because that makes his job that much harder. “Well, then, I guess it’s time to go audit his energy usage.”

 

~~~~~

 

Natasha doesn’t bother wearing a mask for this job, mostly because Hammer has no reason to recognize her, and her face and figure are her best assets for a job like this. Give her a day, and Hammer will be eating right out of her hand, and spilling all his secrets.

 

She’s less than thrilled to be working with Stark on this one, though.

 

“At least _try_ to be inconspicuous,” she mutters, knowing that the coms will pick up her words.

 

At least Stark is wearing one of his fancy masks, so there’s little chance of him being recognized as long as the technology doesn’t fail.

 

“Hey, I’ve flown under the radar before,” Stark protests. “I’m just an engineer.”

 

“Just don’t start flashing your giant brain,” Clint says. “You’re supposed to be an ordinary engineer,”

 

Stark huffs. “Come on, guys. I went overboard that _one time_.”

 

“Every time,” Clint corrects him.

 

Stark is quiet for a moment. “Okay, fair point, but I’m not going to give Hammer the benefit of my expertise.”

 

They don’t respond to that because Stark is smart enough to avoid doing exactly that.

 

“How are you coming along, Natasha?” Phil asks.

 

“Hush, and let me work,” she replies, _sotto voce_ and sashays into Hammer’s office with a stack of files.

 

Pepper Potts may have gotten Bruce and Steve through the doors at Stark Industries, but Stark and Banner had hacked Hammer’s personnel files and created jobs and identities for her and Stark. Clint had accessed the building through the ventilation system and was now acquainting himself with the building and all the potential escape routes.

 

Natasha has to admit that she feels safer with Clint out of sight and available to provide backup, and Coulson on coms.

 

“Well, hello,” Hammer says, looking her up and down. “You must be new here.”

 

Natasha giggles, a practiced sound that matches Hammer’s type. “I am, actually. This is my first day.”

 

“I hope everyone is treating you well,” Hammer replies.

 

“Very well,” she replies, taking the hand he holds out. “Natalie Rushman.”

 

Hammer holds onto her hand a minute too long. “It’s a real pleasure to meet you. I hope you’ll be around more often.”

 

“As often as you’d like,” she says.

 

“I don’t suppose you’re doing anything for dinner tonight,” Hammer says.

 

 _So easy_ , she thinks. “As it so happens, I’m free. I just moved to town, so I don’t know many people yet.”

 

“We’ll have to fix that,” Hammer replies with what he probably thinks is a charming smile. “Let me show you around tonight. I’ve got a thing I have to do, but I’m free after that.”

 

“Of course,” she replies. “Just tell me where and when.”

 

“I’ll text you the information,” he replies, and resting a hand on her hip just briefly.

 

Natasha suppresses a shudder and types in the number of the burner phone she has for the job. “I’ll see you tonight, Mr. Hammer.”

 

“I think you can call me Justin, at least when we’re off the clock,” Hammer says.

 

“You know, I never would have been taken in that easily,” Tony inserts.

 

Once she’s out of Hammer’s earshot, Natasha snorts. “Please.”

 

“I’m happily partnered!” Tony protests. “Have been for years.”

 

“And before that you were a playboy,” Clint replies.

 

“Fine, but I’m reformed, and my point is that I wouldn’t be taken in so easily _today_.”

 

Natasha rolls her eyes. “We get it, Stark. Where are you at?”

 

“I’m happily ensconced in a cubicle pretending to work while I figure out what information has been passed over from SI,” Tony replies. “As we expected, it’s all engineering tech.”

 

“Can you figure out who sent it?” Clint asks.

 

“From what I can see, it’s coming from the top,” Tony replies. “Hammer is presenting them as his own ideas.”

 

“That should make it easier to ensure that Hammer is the one who goes down for it,” Coulson says. “Banner? How are you coming with Dr. Chambers?”

 

“He’s definitely guilty of something,” Bruce replies. “I just haven’t quite worked out what yet.”

 

“Keep at it,” Coulson orders. “We need something that ties them together.”

 

“And something that ties them to General Ross,” Tony inserts. “Because he needs to go down.”

 

Natasha sits down at her desk. “Hammer has a thing tonight,” she says softly. “Something he didn’t want me to attend with him.”

 

“Barton, can you follow him?”

 

“Don’t be ridiculous, boss,” Clint replies. “He won’t even know I’m there.”

 

“Be careful,” Coulson warns. “Both of you. Stark?”

 

“I’m a lowly engineer working very late,” Stark replies. “By the time I’m done for the night, I’m going to have enough dirt on Hammer to shut him down for good.”

 

“You be careful, too,” Banner orders. “Because if I have to haul your ass out of there, I’m going to be pissed, and I will hold it over your head forever.”

 

“Oh, ye of little faith,” Stark mutters. “I never get any love around here.”

 

“I beg your pardon,” Banner replies, sounding affronted.

 

“That’s enough,” Coulson says. “Work your problems, and get the data. I’ll work on a plan.”

 

Natasha smiles. She always likes Coulson’s plans.

 

~~~~~

 

Phil has all the pieces at this point; it’s just a matter of putting them together.

 

Natasha had managed to get Hammer to admit that he had a secret source of tech. “What I’ve got, nobody else has,” Hammer had insisted. “The defense business is all about money—who has it, who wants it, and who’s willing to pay the right price.”

 

“And you have all the money,” Natasha had purred. “I’ll bet you can buy the best.”

 

“I can buy anything or anyone,” Hammer had replied.

 

To Phil, that means Hammer’s buying high-level sources, and he’s probably working both sides—paying scientists and engineers within Stark Industries for proprietary information and technology, and paying high ranking members of the military to take on his contracts.

 

Considering the billions he stands to make on the defense contracts that were signed in the last quarter alone—it’s an excellent investment.

 

Phil’s specialty is setting up sting operations that hook a mark and hoist them on their own petard. In this case, he needs to hook multiple people at once, so the operation is a little more complicated.

 

Plus, there’s baggage. Things are always more complex when you have to take history into account.

 

He paces their headquarters and tries to think. He needs a plan that will bring in every mark—and Phil thinks that General Ross might be the key.

 

He knows both Stark and Banner on sight, and while he’s had his fingers in a lot of questionable pies, he’s always gotten away clean in the past.

 

Which means they need to float something so big that no one will be able to resist.

 

They need a Holy Grail of weaponry.

 

Phil waits until everyone comes back late that night. Bruce and Steve arrive first, both looking weary but pleased. “We’ve got the dirt on Chambers,” Bruce says. “He’s roped his assistant in, but I’m not sure she knows what he’s doing with the information.”

 

“Good job,” Phil replies. “I think I might have an idea, but we’re going to need Tony and the others. Get something to eat, and we’ll regroup when they get in.”

 

Bruce and Steve start creating a platter of sandwiches, working silently in tandem. The two of them work well together as long as they don’t think about it too much.

 

Clint is the next person to arrive, looking very satisfied with himself. “Hammer was, indeed, meeting General Ross. It looked like cash changed hands, or at least an envelope that appeared to be stuffed full.”

 

“That’s something we didn’t know before, and would explain why Ross has been so careful with routing his money,” Phil replies. “It’s hard to hide large cash payments.”

 

Natasha is the next to show up, and she immediately steps out of her heels. “I think I should get hazard pay for dealing with Hammer,” she says, sounding disgruntled. “Why the man doesn’t have half a dozen sexual harassment lawsuits filed against him, I don’t know.”

 

“He does,” Tony says as he slips inside. “He just settles them out of court for large sums of money—that is, if the woman continues to pursue the claim after he buries her lawyers in motions. And that’s not even touching the illegal payments to various high-level officials to make sure he gets the contracts.”

 

“I see you had some success,” Phil observes.

 

“Told you I’d get the dirt.” Tony throws himself down on the couch next to Bruce with his usual disregard for personal space.

 

Then again, anybody who hasn’t met them personally thinks they’re the same person because they’ve let the world believe as much.

 

“You are the best,” Bruce says fondly.

 

“Don’t pump up his ego more than it already is,” Barton says with his mouth full.

 

Bruce smiles. “Impossible.”

 

“Ouch,” Tony says, reaching for a sandwich. “What’s the plan?”

 

“We need something that’s going to hook everybody at once,” Phil says. “Something that Hammer and Ross can’t pass up.”

 

Tony frowns. “You mean you need a weapon.”

 

Phil knows just how touchy Tony is about making weapons. “I need something that looks like a weapon,” he amends. “That will absolutely not work, but where it’s not obvious it won’t work.”

 

“Something that will fool Chambers,” Bruce mutters, and Phil nods. “I think I have an idea, based on what I gleaned from Chambers’ files.”

 

“How long do you need?” Phil asks.’

 

Bruce shrugs. “I’d say end of day tomorrow, but I have to go back to Stark Industries or blow my cover.”

 

“I’ll set up a secure line,” Tony offers. “By the end of the day, we’ll have a piece of proprietary technology so tempting that Mother Theresa couldn’t pass it up.”

 

“We’ll need more than that to hook them,” Natasha says quietly. “They’ll protect each other, because there are no other witnesses.”

 

Phil smiles. “That’s where I come in. I’m going to make Chambers an offer he can’t refuse, and use that to rattle Hammer and Ross.”

 

It’s a risky undertaking, but no one has seen Clint yet, which means he’s still in play, and Phil’s the best choice for a job like this. Everyone underestimates him, _every single time_.

 

That’s kind of his superpower.

 

Phil looks at Bruce. “Can you plant the tech so that Chambers will think it came from another department?”

 

“Piece of cake,” Bruce replies. “Steve has access to the entire building as security. I can create a plug and play program on a flash drive so that it automatically uploads it in such a way that Chambers thinks he’s just discovered it.”

 

Phil smiles. “Natasha, do you think you can plant an idea in Hammer’s brain?”

 

Natasha flicks her fingers to indicate just how easy she thinks it will be, her expression saying everything.

 

“Then here’s what I want you to do,” Phil says, and begins to outline the plan.

 

~~~~~

 

Bruce isn’t too worried about the plan. Back when it had just been him and Tony, Bruce had been the planner, the one who had created backup plan after backup plan just in case something had gone wrong.

 

Not that Tony doesn’t think things through, but he’s impulsive, and just as likely to jettison a plan as to follow it. When it had been just the two of them, Bruce had been the careful, cautious one, pulling Tony back from the edge as needed, while Tony gave them the occasional brash shove into doing something that paid huge dividends.

 

Now, Phil makes the plans, and while everyone gives input, Bruce has learned to trust Phil—and he doesn’t trust many people. That frees up a good part of Bruce’s brain to focus on the task in front of him, and he needs that space right now.

 

Funny thing is, he and Tony could probably create a weapon of mass destruction in a couple of hours—but creating something that _looks_ like a weapon, that would be big enough to tempt all of the marks, and looks good enough to pass Chambers’ scrutiny while not actually working—that’s another matter entirely.

 

Bruce might not think much of Chambers’ loyalty—or lack thereof—but he’s a competent scientist, and he’ll know if something looks fishy.

 

Bruce sends back his suggestions to Tony’s proposal and rubs his eyes. He’d been up half the night working on this project, and now he has to keep up appearances.

 

“I thought you could use this,” Steve says, sliding a cup of coffee across the table. “How’s it going?”

 

“Last set of revisions, and then I’ll be ready for you to put it out there,” Bruce murmurs. “We’re close.”

 

Steve nods, his large hands dwarfing his Styrofoam cup. “Is it just me or does this feel like it hits too close to home?”

 

Bruce knows what he means. “Not just you.”

 

Natasha and Clint have their issues, but they don’t have the overlap that Steve, Tony and Bruce’s do. Granted, Tony had gotten screwed over by his business partner, and Bruce and Steve had been targeted by the military, but it’s all the same right now.

 

“How’s the energy audit going?” Steve asks.

 

Bruce smiles. Trust Steve to know that he’s actually doing the energy audit as requested. “Good. Stark Industries is doing better than a lot of Fortune 500 companies, but I’ve still found a few areas where they could be greener and save money.”

 

“Ms. Potts will be thrilled,” Steve replies.

 

Bruce’s laptop chimes, and he sees the completed set of plans. Bruce transfers them to a prepared flash drive, and then hands it to Steve. “Just plug it into a computer that’s located in Chambers’ department. He has a program running that notifies him of any plans that might be profitable.”

 

Steve frowns. “Isn’t that against company policy?”

 

Bruce raises an eyebrow. Steve’s naiveté is really adorable sometimes. “So is selling company secrets to Hammer.”

 

Steve grimaces. “Point.”

 

Bruce shakes his head as Steve leaves and turns his attention back to the energy audit. His role in the plan is basically complete at this point, so he just needs to finish the job he’d been asked to do.

 

~~~~~

 

Natasha has to give Phil credit—there is no one who knows what each of them can do, and how they all work together the way that he does.

 

She’d received word that Bruce had finished up at Stark Industries, and Chambers had accessed the plans that Steve had uploaded. They’re both back at headquarters now, waiting to see if they’re needed. Tony is still on site, just in case they need someone there.

 

And Natasha is busy sowing the seeds of doubt.

 

“The last time I saw General Ross—” She stops as though she realized she’d said too much.

 

Hammer frowns, glancing up from the papers he’d been signing. At the bottom of the stack is a contract that grants an outside auditing firm access to his files. Hammer won’t be able to back out without raising serious red flags.  From what she’s seen, Hammer doesn’t bother looking at what he’s signing.

 

But then, she’s always known he was an idiot.

 

“You know General Ross?” Hammer asks.

 

Natasha pastes on a coy expression. “Well, I worked for the Department of Defense before I came here.”

 

“I didn’t realize that,” Hammer replies. “Did you have a lot of contact with him?”

 

Natasha shrugs. “Just the occasional run-in.”

 

“And he said something?” Hammer presses.

 

Natasha visibly hesitates, as though she’s afraid to say too much. “Well…”

 

“You can tell me,” Hammer says with a smile that looks a little fake.

 

Natasha hems and haws a bit, not wanting Hammer to think that he’s getting the information too easily. “He said something about Stark tech being more reliable, but I might have misheard him.”

 

Hammer frowns. “Stark?”

 

“Well, you know, back when Stark was making weapons, before he died,” Natasha says innocently.

 

Hammer’s expression turns sour, but he forces a smile as he signs the rest of the contracts without so much as looking at them. Natasha mentally pats herself on the back. Sowing discord and creating a distraction all in one fell swoop—success.

 

Natasha works for the rest of the day just like she normally would, and then leaves at a reasonable hour.

 

Hammer has a couple of meetings to get to, anyway. She’s made sure of that.

 

~~~~~

 

Phil straightens his tie and glances over at Clint, who’s similarly dressed, looking every inch the private security officer.

 

The chances for this sting going wrong are fairly high, but nothing ventured, nothing gained.

 

Chambers looks nervous as he approaches. “I’m not sure what this is all about,” he admits. “You said it was urgent.”

 

“We have reason to believe that you’re selling Stark Technology on the black market,” Phil says calmly in his persona of an international arms dealer. It’s an identity he’s used before, and slipping into it feels like slipping into a pair of favorite shoes. “You’ve edged me out of more than a few deals.”

 

Chambers swallows noisily. “I—I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m not selling anything. I thought this was about a business opportunity, and—”

 

“It’s an opportunity for you to get out,” Phil replies. “If you don’t, I’ll have my friend here put a bullet between your eyes.”

 

Clint coughs discreetly.

 

“Well, an arrow. He has a preference,” Phil amends, glancing at the quiver slung over Clint’s back. “Do I make myself clear?”

 

“Crystal,” Chambers replies.

 

Phil smiles. “And if that’s not enough incentive for you, a log of your recent activities is being sent to Ms. Potts as we speak. My advice is for you is to _run_. Run as far and as fast as you can.”

 

Chambers takes half a step back, and Phil adds, “But not before you hand over those plans.”

 

Clint holds out a hand and Chambers hesitantly drops a flash drive into his hand. “I don’t—”

 

“Run,” Clint says in his best menacing voice. “As far and as fast as you can.”

 

Chambers actually does just that, turning abruptly and running full tilt.

 

“How far do you think he’ll get?” Clint asks, tucking the flash drive into his breast pocket.

 

Phil shrugs. “Not far. I made a few calls.”

 

“Fury’s going to have a field day with this case,” Clint observes. “One case of corporate espionage, one case of corruption, and then whatever he can charge Hammer with.”

 

Phil smiles. “It should buy us a few favors, anyway.”

 

“He going to be there when we put the pinch on Hammer and Ross?”

 

Phil raises an eyebrow. “You know he wouldn’t miss it.”

 

Clint smirks. “Should be fun, boss.”

 

“It’s always fun,” Phil replies. “One of the benefits to loving your job.”

 

The next stage is a little more complicated. They have to get Hammer and Ross in the same location, with both of them agreeing to buy the same piece of tech. And if Phil can get them to turn on each other, even better.

 

Generally speaking, Phil often works the end of the case with Clint or Natasha. They’re the ones who tend not to be recognized, even at the end of a long con, and they both have the necessary skills to back him up if things go south.

 

Occasionally, it’s Steve, or possibly Bruce, but never Tony.

 

Tony Stark is very, very good at what he does, but closing a case isn’t one of those things, not unless it requires him being an asshole. And then he’s really the only person for the job.

 

Right now, though, they don’t need an asshole.

 

“How are things going, Natasha?” Phil asks.

 

“I’ve got you covered,” Natasha replies. “Right now, they appear to be arguing. I think Hammer wants Ross to admit that his tech is better than Stark’s.”

 

“My tech is _way_ better than Hammer’s,” Tony inserts.

 

“No question about that, but maybe save that debate for after this is all over,” Bruce suggests.

 

“Fine,” Tony grumbles.

 

Phil glances at Clint as they approach the meeting site. “I’ll go first. I want them off-balance, and that will work better if they don’t see you.”

 

Clint hesitates. “Yeah, you got it. I have your back, Phil.”

 

Phil strolls up as Hammer is yelling at Ross for not appreciating him. “I can create good tech!” he protests.

 

“What, you think I didn’t know I was buying Stark technology from you all this time?” Ross demands. “That’s _why_ you got the contracts! I knew you had a source, and I didn’t care who it was.”

 

“Please tell me this is being recorded,” Phil mutters.

 

“Got you covered,” Bruce replies. “It’s like they’re trying to do our job for us.”

 

“I love it when that happens,” Clint says happily.

 

Phil strolls up. “I hear you gentlemen are in the market for a weapon.”

 

They both freeze up immediately, of course, but Phil hasn’t been idle the last few days, and he pulls out a cell phone and dials a number, handing it to General Ross. “That will tell you everything you need to know.”

 

They have enough evidence on Chambers and Hammer just from what Bruce and Tony and unearthed to bury them, but they’ve had a hard time pinning Ross to any crime. He’s a canny son of a bitch, and this is their chance.

 

Although Phil can’t hear the other side of the conversation, he knows that his old friend is on the other end of the phone, telling Ross that Phil is exactly what he appears to be, and giving the call sign.

 

That makes it sound like Phil is somehow connected to some kind of security agency with the blessing of the US government. It wouldn’t be the first time that the CIA or another alphabet agency dabbled in illegal arms dealing.

 

“I’m listening,” Ross says, handing the phone back to Phil. “You certainly have my attention.”

 

“That’s good,” Phil replies, “because I’m only going to make this offer once. I have proprietary technology that will make what Hammer’s selling you look like buckshot. A missile that can destroy an entire mountain range would do a lot of good in Afghanistan, and bringing it home would make you a hero.”

 

Hammer frowns. “And how is that true without me?”

 

“I have my own manufacturer,” Phil replies. “One who doesn’t require nearly as much finesse or ego-stroking.”

 

“Hey!” Hammer protests.

 

Ross’ eyes narrow. “What’s the catch?”

 

“The catch is that you ditch Hammer and agree to work with me,” Phil replies. “He can keep the contracts he already has, but if you’re going to be buying weapons tech, you’ll want to get it from a vetted source.”

 

Ross hesitates. “And you’re clearly vetted.”

 

Phil smiles. “By the highest authorities.”

 

That’s not precisely untrue. Phil had high-level clearance before he left, and he’d left of his own volition. He could probably go back, and Fury would hire him back in a heartbeat.

 

Hell, Fury would probably hire his whole team, but Phil likes operating independently, and he knows the others are suspicious of any sort of authority that isn’t him.

 

“Well, then I guess we have a deal,” Ross agrees.

 

“Wait a minute,” Hammer protests. “You _need_ me!”

 

“Not anymore,” Ross says. “Besides, it sounds like your leak got plugged.”

 

Phil nods. “We’ll be in touch, General,” he says and hands over the flash drive, although not the one that General Ross is expecting.

 

 _This_ flash drive has intel and top secret plans that are outside Ross’ purview, the kind that are likely to get him jailed for treason.

 

Natasha still has a few things squirreled away for just such an occasion as this one.

 

In a few minutes, Fury is going to pick up Ross on the information that Phil’s team has sent him, and there will be another team picking up Hammer. Chances are, they’ll both wind up in a deep, dark hole somewhere that no one will ever hear from them again.

 

Phil suspects that will suit Tony and Bruce just fine.

 

~~~~~

 

Bruce wakes up blearily, roused by the smell of popcorn. “Seriously?”

 

“It’s tradition,” Clint replies, waiting until Bruce sits up, making room for him on the couch. Tony is slumped against the arm of the couch on the other end, his legs in Bruce’s lap. “And this is a big one. You and Tony can both get closure.”

 

Bruce snorts. “If you think this was enough to hang Ross out to dry, you’re insane He’ll come out smelling like a rose, although Fury’s sure to get Hammer on corporate espionage charges.”

 

“Come on, this was Phil’s plan,” Clint says, holding out the bag of popcorn. “Bet you fifty that Ross’ arrest makes the news.”

 

Bruce shrugs. “Deal.”

 

Tony rouses. “Stupid bet, Barton.”

 

“You two are way too cynical,” Clint says.

 

“They have reason,” Steve says, entering the room, his hair damp from the shower. He’d probably been running. It’s early enough in the morning that he’s probably just returned. “So do I. Double or nothing, Barton.”

 

Clint grimaces. “That’s too rich for my blood.”

 

“Oh, come on, we make good money,” Tony says, goading him.

 

“Yeah, and I have better things to do with it,” Clint replies.

 

Natasha and Phil show up shortly thereafter while they’re waiting for the weather report to finish up.

 

“Looks like it’s going to be a beautiful day in the Big Apple!” the weather girl says brightly. “Get out there and enjoy the sunshine!”

 

“Breaking news,” says one of the anchors when the camera goes back to the main news desk. “Justin Hammer has been arrested on charges of corporate espionage. He’s been arrested in conjunction with Dr. Frank Chambers, who has been selling proprietary information.”

 

Bruce watches the news report and isn’t at all surprised when General Ross isn’t mentioned.

 

“I’ll make some calls,” Coulson promises. “Find out what they’re going to do with him.”

 

Tony swings his legs off Bruce’s lap and puts an arm over his shoulders. “Hey, if we don’t get him this time, we’ll get him next time.”

 

Bruce refuses to let on to how much it bothers him that Ross isn’t going to face consequences yet _again_. “Yeah, I know. No big deal, right?”

 

“It’s a big deal,” Steve says quietly. “But we’ll get him, Bruce. You know we will.” And then, as a kicker, Steve adds, “He knows what happened to Bucky.”

 

Steve doesn’t talk about Bucky—ever—and no one is brave enough to ask for details, especially after Steve had punched Tony out the only time anybody had.

 

Although Tony had been his usual self when asking, so Steve’s reaction isn’t too surprising.

 

Phil comes back into the room. “Ross has been taken in for questioning, but Fury’s read is that no one wants the scandal. It’s always possible that Hammer will name him at some point, but the authorities might also find reason to delay his trial.”

 

“Like sending him to Gitmo?” Bruce asks sourly.

 

Phil’s expression is quietly sympathetic. “Like that.”

 

“It’s a fucking travesty,” Tony snaps.

 

Phil sighs. “I’m sorry, Bruce. Fury thought we had him, too, but he has a lot of friends, and a lot of dirt on people.”

 

Bruce stands abruptly, dislodging Tony’s arm. “It’s fine. We stopped the leak, and Hammer and Chambers are going to jail. That’s the important thing.”

 

He heads out of their office, which doubles as a crash pad for about half the team at times, and climbs the stairs to the roof. The job had been too easy, he thinks. Too easy to believe that they’d get so much dirt on Ross that the Army would have to prosecute, especially when he’d only been a secondary target at best.

 

It could have been any military officer, anyone willing to take money over the table to get tech that worked, especially after the vacuum left when Tony had disappeared from the scene.

 

“He’s on their radar now,” Phil says quietly, and Bruce somehow isn’t surprised that he’s the one who had been tasked with talking him down from the ledge.

 

Metaphorically speaking, anyway, since Bruce hasn’t made a serious suicide attempt in years.

 

“I know,” Bruce replies.

 

“From what Fury said, the Army is likely to offer him early retirement, just on the off chance that Hammer can be traced back to him,” Phil says. “I know that probably doesn’t satisfy you.”

 

Bruce faces him. “Should it? After what he did?”

 

“No,” Phil admits. “But it’s the reality of the situation. Ross was always going to be difficult.”

 

Bruce smirks cynically. “To take down Ross, you’d have to take down the entire military-industrial complex.”

 

“That’s not beyond the realm of possibility,” Phil replies.

 

Bruce shakes his head. “We can’t account for those ripple effects. We’ll see what happens with Ross. If he retires somewhere, maybe that will be enough. I can be satisfied that he wont do anymore damage.”

 

He doesn’t want revenge, he tells himself. He’s not even sure he wants justice. He just wants to prevent anyone else from being victimized.

 

“If he doesn’t retire, we can target him specifically,” Phil offers. “He’s on thin ice now.”

 

“Maybe,” Bruce says vaguely.

 

Eventually, Phil leaves without saying more, and Tony takes his place. “You going to be out here all night?” he asks.

 

“Maybe,” Bruce replies. “I think I need to see the stars.”

 

“Good thing I brought supplies then,” Tony replies, dropping a bottle of wine and a bag of chips at Bruce feet.

 

Since wine is the only sort of alcohol Bruce can stand, and not something Tony drinks on a regular basis, he accepts the gesture of comfort. “Thanks.”

 

“Please,” Tony replies. “You have no idea what I’m willing to do for you, Dr. Banner.”

 

And, as Bruce leans in for a kiss, he has to admit that it’s true if only to himself.

 

~~~~~

 

“How is he?” Steve asks when Phil returns from the roof. Stark is already gathering supplies, ignoring the rest of them.

 

Phil shrugs. “About like you’d expect. We should have had him.”

 

“We would have, if—” Steve stands, stopping mid-sentence. “Sorry, guys, but I—call if you need me.”

 

Anything involving the military tended to hit Steve particularly hard, mostly because he’d believed whole-heartedly in the institution as a whole.

 

Natasha isn’t sure she’d ever believed in anything, and Clint’s idealism—if he’d ever had it—got knocked out of him as a kid.

 

“We’ll have to see what happens,” Phil says when Steve is gone. “Bruce seemed to think he’d be content if Ross retired.”

 

“He’s a better man and I am,” Clint says bluntly. “I would have wanted to see him hung out to dry.”

 

Natasha glances over at him. “You didn’t think that about your brother.”

 

“He was family,” Clint protests, and then winces as he remembers that tidbit of Bruce’s earlier history. “Point.”

 

“We’ll get him,” Phil says wearily. “He’s on their radar now.”

 

Phil doesn’t specify _whose_ radar, but Natasha knows what he means. Occasionally, they have to play the long game, taking out smaller fish on their way to the bigger one, and this is the first chance they’ve had to really wound General Ross.

 

In that sense, they accomplished their mission. Next time, Ross might not be quite so lucky, and they might manage to get something on him that’s so big, even the Army will disavow him.

 

That day is not today, but Natasha knows all about playing the long game.

 

“You heading back to your place?” Clint asks.

 

Phil nods. “I need some sleep, as do you.”

 

“We’ll get there,” Natasha promises.

 

When Phil is gone, they just sit in silence for a bit, leaning into each other. They don’t get much time alone, but it’s nice.

 

“My place or yours?” Clint asks.

 

Natasha thinks about it for a moment. “Mine, but just to sleep.”

 

Clint’s smile is crooked, understanding. “Yeah, just to sleep.”

 

And Natasha wonders again at their fucked up team. They all have a past that sometimes comes up to bite them in the ass, but they’re better together.

 

The whole is sometimes greater than the sum of its parts, and they were proof.


End file.
